A new category celebrating potato bread has been introduced to Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food in an exciting addition for this year’s competition. 

The new category is in association with FoodNI.  “We are thrilled that the Awards, the UK’s leading celebration of the art of bread-making, is recognising this important part of our food culture,” said Michele Shirlow MBE, Chief Executive of FoodNI. “Potato bread is a form of bread in which potato replaces a portion of the regular wheat flour. It is cooked on a hot plate or griddle in farls (or fourths) and is a staple part of our diet, particularly in an Ulster Fry.’’

The new category is also in memory of Charles Campion, the late food critic and broadcaster who was a judge of the Awards for a number of years. “Charles Campion was a great friend to the Awards,” said Caroline Kenyon, Founder of the Awards, “He was a judge from our very first year. And he was also a passionate champion of Northern Irish foods, including wheaten bread. Indeed, he introduced us to FoodNI. So it is really meaningful that this award celebrates his memory and all that he did to support traditional regional food culture.”

With over 20 categories, the Awards celebrate the great diversity of bread baking; ranging from Sourdough and Baguette, to Speciality Sweet and Flatbread. 

This year’s illustrious judging panel is chaired by Stephen Hallam, Brand Ambassador for Dickinson & Morris. Judges include Ilgin Beaton, Award Winning Sourdough Baker & Teacher, Just Sourdough; Henry Herbert, Fabulous Baking Brothers, Hobbs House Bakery; Marcia Harris, Real Bread Campaign Ambassador; Harry Lomas MBE BEM FIH, Head of Culinary, Wembley Stadium and Jack Sturgess, Author & Channel 4, Sunday Brunch Bread Expert.

Entries for Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food are to be submitted via the website. Submissions close Sunday 9 October 2022. 

If you are a Northern Ireland-based baker, to arrange delivery of your Potato Bread loaves to London for the Judging Day on Wednesday 19 October 2022, please contact Christine Cousins at Food NI, christine@nigoodfood.com 

Winners will be announced at an Awards Evening on Wednesday 26 October 2022.

The countdown is on for a week of tastebud temptation as Belfast Restaurant Week returns from 19 to 25 September in restaurants right across the city centre.

Supported by all the BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) across Belfast in the Belfast One, Cathedral Quarter and Linen Quarter areas, more than 500 mouthwatering menu choices will be served up in forty participating restaurants which are hosting a feast of delicious dishes during the week long event.

Speaking about Belfast Restaurant Week, Chris McCracken, Managing Director of Linen Quarter BID, said: “The excitement is building as the countdown to Belfast Restaurant Week has well and truly begun. It’s marvellous that we can celebrate the creativity of our city’s food and drink during Belfast Restaurant Week and it is a great way for people to re-experience what is on offer at an affordable price throughout the city centre.

“We are delighted to join with Belfast One and Cathedral Quarter to enhance this exciting initiative and support our hospitality industry when they need it most. We invite people into Belfast to sample the mouth-watering dishes on offer, at new restaurants and old favourites alike, and we hope you will come back hungry for more.”

Belfast Restaurant Week is organised and delivered by Belfast One, Cathedral Quarter and Linen Quarter BIDs across BT1 and BT2 and runs from 19 to 25 September. For participating restaurants and menus, please visit www.belfastrestaurantweek.org.

Follow Belfast Restaurant Week on social media and share your pictures with #BelfastRW22.

www.facebook.com/belfastrestaurantweek2022; www.instagram.com/belfastrestaurantweek22; www.twitter.com/BelfastRW22.

Wild Sika Venison Loin from Baronscourt Estate is awarded top accolade for taste in Northern Ireland for 2022, at last night’s Golden Forks ceremony.

Following a record-breaking 14,205 food and drink entries from 110 countries across the world, Great Taste, Food NI producer member Baronscourt Estate has won the Golden Fork Award for Northern Ireland.

Announced last night (5th September 2022) at the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony held at Southwark Cathedral, the Great Taste Golden Fork trophy for Northern Ireland has been awarded to Baronscourt Estate from Tyrone for its Wild Sika Venison Loin, described as having “flavours of game and natural sweetness which balance beautifully and sing out” and “a rich red colour”. The Wild Sika Venison Loin comes from wild sika deer that roam Northern Ireland’s Baronscourt Estate.  Impressing the Great Taste judges with its “bold aroma which was followed by bold flavour”, the Wild Sika Venison Loin made an impression at every stage of the blind-tasted judging process across the 90 days.  Rising to the top among hundreds of other entries from Northern Ireland, this “rich andtender” loin was celebrated as the best tasting product in its region at the highly anticipated ceremony – the culmination of Great Taste.
 
John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food comments: “Unveiling the Great Taste Golden Fork winners is a huge honour. After months of rigorous blind-tasting and judging, it is fantastic to reveal the award-winning products and celebrate the producers’ hard work and innovation. It’s been an exceptional year for creativity and inspirational food and drink entries. Huge congratulations from all of us at GFF to all the award winners, it really isn’t easy to do what you do – I have the utmost admiration for you all. And thank you to everyone who was involved in Great Taste 2022.”    

For more information on Baronscourt Estate, see here: http://www.barons-court.com

The Great Taste Golden Fork from Northern Ireland was sponsored by Invest NI. Also nominated this year were the Great Taste 3-star Corndale Chorizo Picante from Corndale Charcuterie based in Derry-Londonderry and The Single Rose, Ballylisk of Armagh Farmhouse Brie from Ballylisk Dairies based in Armagh.

We are delighted to offer you this opportunity, on behalf of Invest NI, working with the Blas na hEireann team this year. Invest NI are taking space in the brand new venue, Eat Ireland in a Day, part of the Blas Village. This opportunity is open to all finalists from 2020 to 2022. To be eligible for the application your company needs to be able to set up on 28th September or the morning of 29th September and be able to man your stand for the duration of the event.

Buyers and food writers will be in attendance and the 29th is an evening event that is for VIP’s. The opening hours for this event are:

Thursday 29th – Evening only
Friday 30th Sep – 10am to 6pm
Sat 1st and Sunday 2nd October – 11am to 5pm.

As you need to be a finalist between 2020 and 2022, this opens this opportunity up to over 100 companies from Northern Ireland and we will be selecting the attendees on a first come first serve basis. We have 5 spaces at this event.

Closing date for applications is 7th October. Please email Christine@nigoodfood.com for an application.

A new tourism initiative aimed at tackling food poverty in Belfast was launched today by Visit Belfast, the city’s official destination management and marketing organisation.

The sustainable tourism-focused “Changing the Menu. For Good” project will enlist venues, caterers and event organisers to directly raise funds for local food banks, including The People’s Kitchen. A variety of ways to donate are in place to allow event organisers to choose a method that
suits their event, with four headline options; donating the financial equivalent of a fourth course, donating a proportion of catering costs incurred during an event, rounding up delegate or catering fees or donating directly.

The scheme, which will run as a pilot into next year, is designed to drive more responsible and sustainable events, to promote social impact and legacy within our local communities, in addition to the economic benefit tourism already generates.
 
Like elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, demand for food banks is growing in Belfast, in the last 5 years, the need for food banks has increased by 128%* and organisations including the Trussell Trust, which manages 14 food banks across the city, and the independently-run The People’s Kitchen which tackle food poverty and homelessness, need more support than
ever before.

The ‘Changing the Menu. For Good’ initiative is already supported by a group of founding partners in the event industry; Hastings Hotels, Titanic Belfast, Hospitality Belfast/Yellow Door, Food NI, Conference Partners International, Crowne Plaza Belfast, Event-ful and Queen’s University Belfast.

The six-month pilot initiative was launched yesterday (31st August) with an event at 2 Royal Avenue Belfast, in partnership with The People’s Kitchen. 

Visit Belfast is targeting a significant number of business events, gala dinners and conferences booked in the city, and event organisers already on board include, PHUSE EU Connect (The Global Healthcare Data Science Community), Business Travel Association and The Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance. It is hoped that as the scheme grows, and more conference and event organisers get involved, local food banks and the vital work of The People’s Kitchen will get the support they require to help those in immediate need.

Dozens of Taste of Ulster members took home plaudits at the Ulster Regional Final of the Irish Restaurant Awards 2022 which took place in the Slieve Russell Hotel, County Cavan on Tuesday 23rd August 2022.

Wine and Brine in Moira took Best Restaurant and Best Chef (Chris Magowan) and Best Wine Experience for Armagh while Deane’s EIPIC’s Alex Greene won Best Chef in Antrim and Stephen Holland from Lough Erne Resort was named Best Chef in Fermanagh.

The Best Restaurant in Derry/Londonderry was Brown’s Bonds Hill. The Derry/Londonderry award for Best Chef was won by Natalia Polo Mullan from Ocho Tapas Bistro in Portstewart.

The Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant category was awarded to the Grand Central Hotel, Belfast for Antrim. In Armagh, it was Newforge House. Derry/Londonderry was won by Ardtara Country House. It was The Cuan in Down. The Catalina at Lough Erne Resort was the Fermanagh winner while in Tyrone, the award went to the Corick House Hotel & Spa. Newforge House won Best Customer Service in Armagh. Best Customer Service in Antrim was Bushmills Inn.  No. 14 at The Georgian House in Down won a new award category for Best Sustainable Practices.

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine in Armagh was won by Clenaghans. Best Wine Experience in Antrim was given to Ox Cave Belfast. Best Café in Down was Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, in Fermanagh, The Jolly Sandwich Bar won. The Hillside won the Pub of the Year Award in Down.

Local Food Heroes for each county included Simon Dougan from the Yellow Door Deli, Armagh , Indie Fude’s Laura Bradley in Down and Ric Dyer  Symphonia Gin – Woodlab Distillery in Tyrone. In the Best Gastro Pub category, The Morning Star  took the Antrim prize and the Walled
City Brewery won in Derry/Londonderry.

“It has been a tough time, as we all know, so extra well done to all these worthy winners and best wishes for the upcoming final” said Taste of Ulster CEO, Michele Shirlow. Speaking at the Ulster Regional Awards CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins, said; “Now in their 13th year, the Irish Restaurant Awards returns after the 2020 Awards were cut short. The Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the existing and up
and coming talent in the sector and are a reminder that hospitality is nothing without the dedicated and passionate staff in the industry.”

All of the county winners now compete for the Regional and All Ireland Titles, which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards All Ireland Final on Monday 19th September 2022 in the Convention Centre Dublin(CCD).

Find out more here: https://irishrestaurantawards.com/